Dreams of Oblivion
by deadly sorrow
Summary: They always promised that dreams could come true - but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.
1. Chapter 1

_The keeper of dreams, he waits in shadows_

 _For her soul, deep within the light that burns_

 _He is forbidden from the world in which she revels,_

 _He will nurture her power, her magic he will relish_

 _The terror will begin, his reign absolute,_

 _From a seat of ash and bone,_

 _And she will be his forever more_

* * *

"Emmy! Emmy, sweetheart, where are you?!"

She ignored her mother, fully absorbed in the printed words before her. Before she could blink, the book was plucked out of her hands.

"Hey!" She tried to follow, only for her mother to hold it out of reach. "I was reading that, mom!"

"Honestly, are you going to spend your entire summer with your nose in a book?" He mother questioned mildly. She snapped the book shut and tucked it under her arm. "Anyway, family meeting time, so up, up!"

Resigned, Emilie stood from the comfort of her wooden swing. The cracking paint lightly scrapped her bare thighs. She shuffled, scowling, through the backyard and into the living room. Her dad must have cranked the AC up. A blast of cold air greeted her. That, and her younger siblings sullen expressions.

Well, Dipper looked sullen. Mabel looked torn between emulating her twin or succumbing to the curiosity she clearly felt. Emilie settled in between them. She ruffled Dipper's already messy hair for good measure. His scowl melted into a smile. It faded when their parents began to speak.

"Now, we've had it with you kids cooped up inside," Emilie chose not to point out that she'd clearly been outside minutes earlier. Reading. "With all your electronics. So, we're sending you to your Great Uncle's place in Oregon."

"We have a great uncle?" Emilie couldn't help but ask. Grandpa Shermie never spoke of any siblings. She and the twins assumed he didn't have any. "Does Grandpa Shermie have a brother or something?" Not that they'd seen their grandpa in years. It was hard when he lived on the other side of the country. Not to mention their dad could barely get in a free weekend nowadays.

"He has a brother - Stanford." Their dad supplied helpfully. "And you three will be going to stay with him for the summer."

"You can all get some fresh air- be away from the big city for a while. Won't that be nice?"

It would not be nice, Emilie decided. Even as they were shooed up to their rooms to pack. As they were driven to the bus station and handed their tickets. As they were herded onto the bus and waved goodbye. She'd hoped to attend a gymnastics camp that summer. Her parents had crushed those dreams in one fell swoop.

Mabel was infuriatingly chipper about the whole thing. Emilie tuned out her prattling as best she could. Mabel meant well, Emilie knew. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body. Dipper was still sullen. The scowl hadn't left his face the moment their parent's words sunk in. Her little brother wasn't big on the outdoors.

"Emmy, this is our stop." Emilie turned from the window. The last two hours had been an endless expanse of pine trees. Her legs ached and her butt hurt from sitting so long. Mabel was smiling. Dipper even looked interested.

She stood with a sigh. "Great." She pasted on a smile for their benefit. She would never badmouth their parents in front of them. She'd save it for when mom called.

The bus sped away the moment they clambered off. The dust settled and all three gaped at what awaited them. The _Mystery Shack_ stood, the 'S' missing from the large red sign. An elderly man, dressed in a black suit and red fez, stood before it.

"Hey kids, come and meet your Grunkle Stan!"

At least she had her own room. Like home, Mabel and Dipper shared a space. They were stuck in the attic. She had a room on the ground floor. It was across the hall from their self-dubbed 'Grunkle' Stan. _Great Uncle Stan takes time, and time is money, kids!_

Stan was weird. Even by her standards. In the time it took Emilie to unpack and settle in, she heard what the Mystery Shack was. Mom and dad had sent them to a tourist spot in a backwater town. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to find the tiny town on any maps.

"Emmy?" Mabel was outside the door when it opened. Surprised to see her alone, Emilie let her in. Mabel settled on the bed. She kicked her feet and waited for Emilie to sit. "Grunkle Stan smells weird."

Emilie laughed. Mabel's nose wrinkled for emphasis. "I know, sweetie," she brushed a hand along Mabel's cowlick. All three sibling shared it. It refused to be tamed. "How's your room?"

She hadn't checked it yet. Her own room was stable if anything else. But the rickety stairs the twins had climbed worried her. The house clearly wasn't structurally sound.

"It's fine. Not too small," Mabel assured her. "Dipper and I'll be fine."

Emilie didn't doubt it. For some reason, the twins were close. Even closer than one would expect of twins. They rarely fought. Even when they did, it was more playful than anything. They'd been inseparable since birth.

"As long as you're okay with it."

Mable nodded. "We are. Well, Dipper will get used to it." She amended after Emilie sent her a disbelieving look.

While nothing ever fazed Mabel, Dipper was another story. He was the polar opposite of his sister in many ways. Easily stressed and hard to calm. If he didn't work himself into a temper by the day's end, Emilie would owe Mabel five bucks.

Mabel was unable to sit still for long. Her little fingers began to weave through Emilie's hair. She began to braid the thick strands. "I'm glad you let it grow out."

"Don't remind me." Emilie groaned. "It's taken four years to get this long." Her poorly thought out pixie cut was her biggest regret.

"Told you not to cut it," Mabel sang. Her nimble fingers began to twist and weave. Emilie let her. They hadn't had enough time to hang out in recent days.

Dipper soon ended their bonding time. He stomped into Emilie's room and planted face-first on the bed. Emilie rubbed his back soothingly. Mabel was far more versed in cheering her twin, and soon had him smiling once more.

The twins scampered off to play minutes later. Left to her own devices, Emilie fell back onto the mattress. She could hear the scattered voices, the stomping footsteps, of the tourists that filled the shack. She curled on her side and yanked the pillow to hide her face in.

Her head was beginning to hurt.

* * *

The Mystery Shack had two employees. Soos, an over-eager guy in his early twenties who reminded her of an overlarge gopher. And Wendy, a ginger-haired lumberjack's daughter who Emilie hadn't seen move more than five inches in as many hours and who snarked liked she breathed. Emilie liked her already.

Emilie casually side-stepped the job of pasting posters in the woods. Something about them gave her the creeps. Dipper felt the same. He protested loudly when chosen to be the one to venture into them with the fliers. She spent most of the day with Wendy at the counter. The girl had a wicked sense of humor and made the dread within Emilie begin to loosen.

If she could find friends, maybe the summer wouldn't be as boring as she feared.

"You should come out with us soon, Em," Wendy invited. "The boys'll love having another girl around that could kick their asses." She smirked and Emilie grinned back.

Mabel flirted relentlessly with the boys that ventured into the shack, local and tourist alike. Emilie thought her sister too young to worry about having a 'great summer romance'. Mabel should worry about sleepovers and what color to knit her next sweater from. Not what boy to kiss or obsess over. Wendy found her adorable.

Wendy left for the day, promising to text Emilie soon. Soos stayed longer, relishing the work Grunkle Stan made him do. The devotion he showed their dried up sourpuss of a relative was sweet, in a sickening, way to look at. Emilie didn't see anything in their uncle, other than his inherent ability to manipulate, that could warrant such devotion.

Mable nearly tackled her off the stood she was perched on. The girl was shaking with excitement and babbling about summer romance. All Emilie could gather was that her twelve year old sister had been asked out. On a date.

"So, who is this lucky guy?" Stan asked as they settled gift shoppe. He'd been regaling Soos with tales of 'the good ol' days', when Mabel dragged Emilie to share the good news. Mabel babbled excitedly before she raced out the door.

Stan watched, bemused. He turned to Emilie, who shrugged and went back to her book. Mabel had always been easily excitable. And prone to falling deeply in love with a boy one day, before moving on to the next.

Mabel returned minutes later, Dipper in tow. He didn't even spare her a glance before launching into another of his tangents. He'd found a book hidden in a secret compartment in the forest. Emilie lowered her own, eyes drawn to the handwritten one in Dipper's grasp. An ache began to start behind her eyes again.

Mabel's new boyfriend - _Norman_ , apparently - showed up soon after.

" _How_ old are you, exactly?" He looked closer to Emilie's age than the twins. Dipper looked as pleased as she felt when the gothic teen stuttered a reply.

Stan, however, was unmoved. He merely waved his great-niece away, face buried in a magazine. Emilie forced a smile. Mabel looked happy - over the moon, in fact. She wasn't going to ruin her baby sister's happiness with her misgivings. Dipper ran off to his room the moment Mabel gleefully left with her extremely uncoordinated boyfriend.

Dipper became secretive, moreso than usual. In the next few days, he'd run off the moment Mabel and her boyfriend stumbled off on another date. Emilie had Wendy and her friends to distract herself with. She didn't mind Lee and Nate, or the pushover that was Thompson. She wasn't too sure about Tambry; Wendy assured her that the other girl already liked her.

Emilie was pretty sure she despised Robbie.

He was too... much. Of everything. And he followed Wendy around like a panting dog. Even Tambry disliked him, and she rarely felt anything other than a distinct apathy. He flirted incessantly with Emilie too. When her sarcasm didn't off-put him, she stuck with Nate and Lee. It was only when Wendy made the comment of barfing over Robbie's comments that he stopped.

Maybe she could have fun here.

* * *

The headaches didn't stop. They grew worse. Little over a week after they'd arrived, there was a tremendous shaking that Grunkle Stan claimed was an earthquake. Emilie wasn't sure. But she was too lost in her misery to care. Dipper and Mabel came in soon after Stan's last tour left. They were both a sweaty mess. Mabel had leaves in her hair and Dipper was missing his hat.

Emilie raised a brow when Stan offered them each a pick of the gift shoppe. He claimed it was because he'd overstocked and looked offended when she suggested otherwise. Mabel plucked a grappling hook from the shelf. Emilie was only half-worried she'd break a window. Dipper picked one of the blue and white pine tree hats.

Emilie's eyes fell on a small book. It was the only one so Stan would never give it to her. So she shrugged and smiled, said she'd pick another day.

That night, the book was laying on her pillow. There was a golden rose beside it.

* * *

Other than involving them in counterfeiting, Grunkle Stan wasn't so bad. He was trying, that much Emilie could see. So when he offered to have a family bonding day, she wasn't totally against it. Though nothing really beat watching Mabel and Dipper letting syrup drip into their mouths.

Emilie changed her mind the moment Grunkle Stan started driving. She refused to sit in the front after the last time. She held onto Mabel and Dipper as the car veered sharply to the left. Mabel, convinced the blindfolds enhanced her senses, began to feel around with her hands. Emilie laughed when the little fingers dug into her ticklish rib cage.

After a car ride that shaved years off her lifespan, they ended up at the lake. None of them had been there yet. Emilie's nose wrinkled at the smell of fish and murky lake water. Several of the townsfolk were already on boats or sunning themselves on the beach. She caught sight of Wendy's dad with her many brothers.

Old Man McGucket, the town loon, began to scream before Emilie could maneuver herself out of the fishing Stan planned. Something about a creature in the lake he called a 'gobblewonker'. When Soos offered his admittedly more stable boat, Emilie couldn't jump on it fast enough. Mabel and Dipper followed moments later.

Shame filled her at the sight of Grunkle Stan's disappointment. It was too late to back out though. Soos was already speeding to the island McGucket had pointed out. Dipper took charge, pronouncing himself the captain. Emilie smiled when Mabel immediately argued the decision. She hid far away from the sides of the boat and pulled the small book hidden in the pocket of her hoodie.

Emilie didn't know who'd given it to her - or the rose - but wasn't about to miss the opportunity. The book, dusty and all but hidden on that shelf, was what appeared to be a smaller version of the journal Dipper had found. Except, it listed spells and 'd have been quick to dismiss it as a gimmick of Stans but...

Mabel had told her about the gnomes. While horrified, she was glad the twins had taken care of it. Dipper had even shown her the book after an hour of coaxing.

And her fingers tingled whenever she touched the pages of her book.

"Whatcha readin'?" Emilie jerked. Mabel stood in front of her, hair damp from the spray of the water. There was color to her round cheeks. Emilie smiled at the sight. She shifted over, allowing Mabel to settle beside her. Mabel peeked over her arm at the pages, eyes impossibly large. "What is that?"

"Magic, I think," Emilie flipped the pages. She landed on a detail of a physical shield. "It was on my bed, that night Grunkle Stan let us pick stuff from the gift shop."

Dipper called Mabel back to the helm before she could reply. She shot Emilie a smile before racing to her twin. Emilie watched her go, smiling now. They landed on the island with little trouble, though Dipper looked ready to have a conniption. Emilie kept the camera on her phone ready just in case Soos destroyed the disposables.

Scratch that, she decided when Soos broke one and Dipper's eye twitched. _When_ Soos broke the disposables.

* * *

The Gobblewonker, it turned out, was real. Sort of.

Emilie felt a shred of sympathy for McGucket. Though his mutterings about creating a similar creation when his wife left him, along with the hours of terror she'd be subjected to, made it hard. There was also the worry she'd felt for her siblings and she felt like slapping the crazed man. She settled for blasting a swarm of beavers out of the water with a spell she found in the book. And promptly froze when it worked.

Soos didn't ask about how pale her face was, or how shaky her hands were. Mabel and Dipper were too involved in making it up to Grunkle Stan to notice. But Stan did. He kept an arm around her as they all balanced precariously in the small boat. He never let her go.

She hugged him for the first time that night before going to her room. He smelt like murky lake water and cheap aftershave. But his frame was warm and sturdy and he didn't press her as her parents would have.

He was just there.

She went to sleep with the book beneath her pillow. The drying rose pressed between the pages.

The headaches didn't come back that night.

* * *

 **A/N: This covers the first and second episode of Season 1**


	2. Chapter 2

_A master of dreams, he can see all_

 _His power unchecked, all dreamscapes are his,_

 _A brief flare of life in death and chaos does come,_

 _A power he will covet above all else._

 _The die is cast, magic unfurls,_

 _For better or worse, that power is hers._

* * *

Her fingertips were still charred. The energy that surrounded them suffocated her. Emilie curled tighter on her bed. Her skin smelt like cinder and ashes. Like a campfire. And she hated it.

"Emmy?" Mabel's voice sounded tinny. Like she was talking through a can. "Sissy..."

They were worried. Even Grunkle Stan. He didn't know what happened, Emilie doubted he'd believe it. Stan already refused to believe the weirdness about the town. He wouldn't believe his niece could create fire.

Emilie gripped her pillow tighter. The wax Sherlock would have killed Dipper, she'd had no choice. She could still feel the fire that melted it. It wasn't like the beavers on the lake. No one had seen it then. Nothing had been hurt. This time it had been different.

The twins looked horrified with her.

"Emilie, sweetie?" The door creaked open. Emilie blinked at the light that spilled in. Grunkle Stan stood in the doorway. He had the keys, she belatedly realized. Mabel and Dipper peeked from behind his legs. "Sweetie, what's goin' on?"

She couldn't find her voice. Mabel ducked around Stan's legs and was in the room before he could grab her. Emilie stiffened when Mabel snuggled up to her. Little fingers curled into the pocket of Emilie's hoodie. She scarcely dared to breath. Another body joined them on the bed. Dipper tucked himself against her upper back. His thin arms wrapped around her suddenly shaking shoulders.

"It's okay, sissy," Mabel's voice was muffled by Emilie's sweater. "It's okay."

Emilie said nothing. The bed dipped by her feet. Stan was seated on it and he looked distinctly uncomfortable. But he reached out to stroke her hair. His nose wrinkled suddenly and Emilie stiffened.

"I dunnon what's goin' on, kids." He grumbled and settled on the bed. "But I'll be here till you wanna talk about it."

They were still there when she woke up.

* * *

Emilie watched old horror movies with Wendy. She spent hours on her gymnastics. She even let Dipper take a look at her book. Stagnation had never sat well with her. Emilie couldn't stay in bed all day. So she found ways to busy herself.

Then the dreams started. That first night, Emilie woke, shaken and drenched, her throat and eyes raw. Stan charged into her room with a waffle iron. He still looked ashamed whenever he glanced in the direction of syrup. Dipper and Mabel never mentioned it. Emilie wasn't sure they could hear her in the attic. She wasn't sure she wanted them to.

Emilie had never remembered her dreams. This one was no different. All she knew was there was a voice that called to her.

The day the commercial for the Tent of Telepathy came on, Emilie was intrigued. Dipper's book made mention of magical creatures. It didn't mention magic using humans. There were spells, but none like the ones in her book. When the twins decided to go to a show, Emilie agreed immediately. It would also irritate Stan, which was a plus.

Lil' Gideon lived up to his name. He came up to Emilie's waist. Mostly because of his bouffant. But the whole show was a scam, as Grunkle Stan said it was. If anything, Gideon was exceptionally perceptive. And the people ate it up. Mabel was easily impressed. She found Gideon adorable, as she did most little, squishy creatures. Dipper scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You'd wipe the floor with this guy," he muttered after Gideon forced them to rise. Emilie's smile froze and her fingers sparked. Dipper didn't seem to notice. She tucked her fingertips underneath the edges of her sleeves. When Emilie looked up, Gideon stared straight at her.

Mabel was delighted with the show. Dipper not so much. Emilie smiled and chuckled at their antics. She was glad they were still so close. The past two weeks had been hectic and strange. Way different from their lives back home.

Grunkle Stan wasn't too happy with them. He read them the riot act at dinner. Emilie didn't see the harm. So they watched Gideon's show, it wasn't a big deal. Emilie was more interested in the meat on her plate. Stan claimed it was beef. It looked like some kind of grey paste.

The dreams came again that night.

* * *

Mabel came back with enough make-up on for five clowns. Emilie was used to her sister dressing up. Mabel always got into their mom's make-up back home. She'd be doing it since she was three. That didn't explain the wolverine nails though.

"I played dress-up with Gideon." Mabel touched her coiffure.

"You could've asked me, you know." Emilie tried to sound offended. It didn't work. Mabel merely tried to tickle her. With the three inch nails, it hurt. Emilie wasn't a girly-girl. She was too dedicated to gymnastics. Dressing up and looking nice was too much work.

Emilie didn't trust Gideon. He rubbed her the wrong way. She said nothing, though. Mabel was old enough to make her own decisions. And Emilie doubted Gideon was dangerous. Besides, Mabel looked happy. Even with her smudged make-up and overly styled hair. Emilie would let it be.

At least for now.

* * *

Wendy ended up telling her the news. Emilie had wandered off, book in hand. She wanted to control the energy that seeped from her very pores. So she spent half the day practicing. The magic was drawn from her emotions. Which explained how she took her frustration out on the beavers. And her fear on the Sherlock wax figure. Emilie returned to the Mystery Shack pale and shaken. Only to learn Mabel was on a date. With Gideon.

"He showed up on a horse." Wendy drawled. She even looked fairly impressed. "By the way, Tambry wants to go shopping tomorrow. You in?" Emilie nodded, mildly excited. She'd never liked shopping, but Wendy seemed equally excited. And Emilie had been avoiding people lately.

That night, Mabel slipped into Emilie's room. She wore an old shirt of their dad's. Emilie opened the covers and Mabel tumbled into them. She curled into a tight ball.

"What is it?" Emilie settled beside her. Mabel was rarely anything other than cheerful. It could grate, but Emilie loved that about her. Dipper was usually the more somber of the twins. "You could give Dipper a run for his money."

Mabel tried to smother her face in the pillow. "It's Gideon. He asked me out on another date. In front of everyone."

"I thought he promised just this one." Emilie frowned. Mabel had never looked this upset. "Sweetie, you don't have to go out with him if you don't want to. You know that, right?"

Mabel stared at her like she was insane. Emilie tried not to look offended. "I don't wanna hurt his feelings," Mabel muttered mulishly. She was half hidden beneath the blankets with only her eyes visible. Emilie gently tugged it down to reveal Mabel's face. Her mouth was twisted into a deep frown.

"I know. But, is it worth leading him on and being miserable?" Mabel didn't answer and Emilie didn't expect her to. Snuggling down into the bed, Emilie wrapped an arm around her sister.

Neither of them slept well that night.

* * *

Thankfully, little time was spent on shopping. Tambry and Wendy showed Emilie all the popular teen haunts around the town instead. Emilie wasn't surprised that the cemetery was their favorite. When they did get to shopping, the only viable option was the second-hand store. Emilie halfheartedly browsed the racks, suddenly uneasy.

Two weeks was long enough to get used to the feeling of being watched. At least it should have been. Emilie wasn't sure she could ever get used to how her skin prickled. It was different when they left the store though. Emilie, half distracted by the topic of plaid versus stripes, collided hard with another body.

The magic beneath her skin tingled and surged when an arm hooked around her waist. Dazed, she followed the length of the arm to meet wide amber colored eyes. The color was unnerving and beautiful all at once.

"Emmy!" Wendy and Tambry peered at her. "Are you okay?"

Emilie forced herself to nod. The stranger had yet to remove his arm and she'd yet to look away. His fingers skimmed the back of her hand when he let her go. Her skin roiled and burned at the touch. Emilie couldn't remember much of what happened after. It seemed to blur together in her mind. But one thing stuck out.

"My name's Will."

* * *

Mabel was even more upset when Emilie arrived home that night. She ranted and paced and almost tore a sweater to bits. Gideon had gotten another date out of her. Emilie wanted to tear his bouffant out. Mabel was innocent in every way Emilie could think. The poor girl had never had a real date, much less refused one.

Emilie almsot strangled Grunkle Stan when he announced that Mabel had to marry Gideon. She chose not to point out that Stan had zero guardian rights to them and couldn't sign off Mabel's future. However, Mabel appeared close to tears. So Emilie smacked Stan and raced after her baby sister.

When Mabel went to 'sweater town', Emilie admitted defeat. Then she tagged Dipper in. Not even their parents could get Mabel out of 'sweater town'. Only Dipper had ever accomplished that. He managed to get her to come out and promised to help her with Gideon. It might not have been the best plan to have Dipper break things off with Gideon for her, but when Mabel smiled, it reached her eyes.

So Emilie went with the twins into town. Dipper broke it off, claimed it was painless and easy. Mabel continued to fret the entire way home. But she slept in the attic that night, so Emilie assumed she was alright.

Dipper nearly ran out of the house the next night. Emilie chased after him. The discovery of a whole other world set her on edge. Grunkle Stan might not care enough about the twin's safety, but Emilie did. Apparently Toby Determined was going to publish an article on the weird things they'd seen since they got into town.

"And the interview is in Gideon's family's factory?" Emilie refused to leave his side. The factory was seemingly deserted, with no sign of the dorky reporter. Then Gideon showed up. He was angry about Mabel. Far more angry than a child had the right to be about being dumped after just three days.

" _Contego_!"

When she threw up the shield, it was instinctive. The telekinetic force slammed into it. Emilie felt it all the way to her toes. Dipper stared at her in surprise. She met Gideon's eye and recoiled. There was a possessive glint to them. It made her skin crawl unpleasantly.

"Where'd a lil' thing like you learn that?"

Emilie didn't deign to offer a response. Gideon used his amulet to throw the contents of the warehouse at Dipper. He all but ignored Emilie until she made him pay attention. When he almost crushed Dipper with shelf, Emilie saw red. The light flashed beneath her eyelids and the energy rushed out of her. Gideon was thrown across the room. Emilie didn't bother to look at him. All she cared about was her brother. Dipper's eye was half-shut, swollen and blackened.

"We're getting you outta here." Emilie bent to pick him up. She was thrown against a wall before she even touched him.

Her head slammed into the concrete. When her eyes focused and her vision cleared, her stomach dropped. Gideon had Dipper in the air, a pair of shears about to skewer him.

Then Mabel showed up.

Emilie screamed when Gideon tackled Dipper through the window. Why someone had built a factory on a cliff, she wasn't sure. Emilie stumbled toward the gap in time for a weightless feeling to overtake her. Mabel held Gideon's amulet in hand. She looked more serious than Emilie had ever seen. They floated out the window and down to the ground. Dipper and Gideon's descent was halted without even a gesture on Mabel's part.

Emilie watched with no small sense of satisfaction when Mabel crushed the amulet.

* * *

Stan wasn't too worried about Gideon swearing revenge. Emilie was pretty sure nothing bothered him. While mildly disturbed, Emilie didn't focus on the child's threat. He was powerless without the amulet. And she had a whole book of spells that just begged to be used.

The book was open on her desk when she went to bed that night. The twins had calmed down enough to sleep well after midnight. Emilie might not have noticed it at all, if not for the flower. The rose she'd pressed between the pages was still there. Now there was a new one, soft and healthy. Emilie's fingers trembled when she touched it.

It was the same color as Will's eyes.

* * *

 **A/N: the chapter covers the second and (mostly) the third episode of season 1  
**


	3. Chapter 3

_The magic is here, o'er us all,_

 _Only a few can hear its call._

 _The dreamer is found, the trap will be set,_

 _A monster will find, her magic he will get._

 _The end of days is nigh,_

 _For it all depends on her,_

 _Yet the truth is hidden in the beast with one eye._

* * *

The sight of Dipper on the floor, broken and bruised, wouldn't leave her. It imprinted itself on her eyelids and tormented her as she slept. Her previous dreams gave way and Emilie relived the terror each night. Both Dipper and Mabel were little better. They'd spent the past few nights curled up with their sister, all three unable to sleep.

For all his gruffness, Grunkle Stan cared. He tried his best to help - he even contacted the doctor when Emilie's sleepless nights increased. The prescription she'd been written currently gathered dust underneath Emilie's bed. One night, Emilie entered the living room to see Mabel and Stan curled up on the chair. It meant more to her than she'd ever tell Stan, how easily he'd been taken with Mabel.

It didn't seem to bother Dipper, at least not yet. He'd always been, even if he would never admit it, jealous of how easy Mabel was in social situations. Mabel felt the same way about how Dipper excelled in school.

Emilie jerked, cheek slipping from her fist. The kitchen was eerie in the moonlight, and her eyes fell onto the spell book. Unable to sleep, she studied the spells and enchantments. Some were simple, others so difficult to pronounce she didn't even try. One page had been scribbled over. And burned, from the look of it. So much so that the only word she could vaguely make out looked like 'forbidden'.

Somewhere in the Shack, the clock chimed. Emilie listened and slumped at the fifth ring. Another night with no sleep. Stan had already commented more than once how horrible she looked. Soos was convinced she was some form of the undead; Wendy helpfully suggested a vampire. Emilie slipped into her room before the rest of the Shack found her there. If Grunkle Stan did, Emilie knew he'd force her to fill that prescription.

It was well past noon before Emilie dragged herself out of her room. By then, both Dipper and Mabel threatened to break her door down. Grunkle Stan shooed them away before he threatened the same. Emilie welded the lock on her door shut in response.

"Em, you okay?" Emilie started, dazed. Wendy sat behind the cash register, one eyebrow raised. Clearly, Emilie had been part of a one-sided conversation. "I was asking if you wanted to go out tonight?" She wanted to shy from the concern in Wendy's voice. "Still haven't been sleeping?"

Grunkle Stan saved Emilie from having to answer. It was still odd, to see how devoted Soos was to their Grunkle. However, he was also very easily distracted - especially when it was Wendy doing the distracting. Emilie hadn't been on the roof yet, so she followed the twins and Wendy. Emilie didn't want to say how grateful she was when Thompson pulled up.

Her baby brother was smitten. And, it seemed, he'd just realized it himself. She hoped Mabel didn't give him too hard a time for it. She should stay, Emilie knew, and spend time with them. Help Dipper with his newfound affections and keep Mabel from teasing too much. But she couldn't. Emilie wanted to be selfish for just a little longer.

The Gravity Falls bowling alley was dingy, exactly what Emilie expected. The paint was cracked on the plastic chair that creaked beneath her weight. It felt sticky beneath her bare legs. As a rule, Emilie hated rented shoes. She hadn't willingly bowled with her family in years, no matter how the twins begged. So, she settled with Tambry to watch. Only then did Emilie realize that Nate was missing.

When Tambry merely hummed in response, Emilie turned to Wendy. Robbie was practically stuck to her side and glowered when her attention was drawn from him.

"Oh, he's running late," Wendy leaned back on her palms. All watched as Thompson threw himself down the lane. Once she'd stopped laughing, Wendy glanced over Emilie's shoulder. "He's here, actually,"

Emilie didn't trust the smirk on her face. Though she enjoyed how Robbie suddenly looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. Tambry suddenly kicked her foot.

"You're boyfriend's here, Em." She muttered, eyes glued to her phone. Even Thompson looked interested at that.

Emilie felt her face flush rapidly. Nate bounded past her, tugging along another boy. Familiar, cat-like eyes raised to meet Emilie's. The flush deepened and traveled down her neck.

"This is Will!"

Apparently, she and the twins weren't the only newcomers to the town. Will folded his lanky body beside her. His eyes gleamed beneath messy, blond strands. He had to be wearing contacts, Emilie thought faintly. No human had eyes like that. When asked, he laughed and nodded. His eyes were blue.

Wendy easily ignored Robbie in favor of the new guy. However, while she teased, she didn't flirt. Wendy managed to involved Emilie in every single discussion, even if it didn't remotely interest her. While subtle, it didn't help that the ginger winked at Emilie every time Will looked away. It also didn't help that her skin tingled wherever Will touched it.

Emilie had to spend the rest of the night avoiding Mabel like the plague. For some reason, her little sister always knew when Emilie had a crush. She was like a bloodhound. It was hard to keep the grin off her face at dinner. Especially when each new text from Will arrived.

The Gideon nightmares stopped that night.

* * *

It didn't take long for Dipper to convince her to play along. Emilie frowned as they left the Mystery Shack behind Wendy. Mabel looked just as pleased as she felt. Emilie fumed beside her, hating how easily she'd given in. Her friendship with Wendy and the others was new, no matter how much they'd bonded. She didn't want to ruin it. Guilt immediately assaulted her. Dipper was her brother - she wanted him to be happy.

Thankfully, Emilie had a distraction from her thoughts. Said distraction stood beside Tambry, who filmed Robbie tossing candy at Thompson's belly button. Will caught her eye and grinned. His eyes were blue today.

Mabel noticed and grinned. Dipper scowled. He would subject Emilie to the inquisition when they were alone, she just knew it. But, Wendy was able to distract Dipper the moment they all piled into the van. Robbie, Emilie decided once they'd pulled up at the Dusk 2 Dawn. Once Dipper, after Robbie's mocking, went to unlock the store, Emilie flipped.

Robbie's face was white by the end of her rant; Emilie could feel the blood pulsing in her ears. Wendy had long since covered a curious looking Mabel's ears, while the others all watched avidly. By the time Dipper opened the front door, Emilie trembled. Energy sparked at her fingertips. She tucked them beneath her sleeves and met Will's gaze. He smiled and tucked her into his side.

Robbie avoided her the rest of the night.

* * *

Ghosts, as Dipper's journal said, were real. And terrifying. Emilie agreed with Wendy; she was scarred for life. Mabel, thankfully, had been in a sugar induced coma for the majority of the evening. She hadn't been lucid when the ghosts of the old store owners had appeared. Emilie figured she could thank the magic that sizzled around her that she hadn't been trapped in some kind of personal hell.

The ghosts had barely noticed her.

Emilie looked at Dipper in the van. He was slumped against Mabel, who was still half-conscious. Without a word, she left her spot beside Will. Emilie slipped over the seat to settle between the twins.

All three of them were asleep when Thompson pulled up to the Mystery Shack.

* * *

Emilie was still terrified of Grunkle Stan's driving. Even if they only went to the diner, she still held on for dear life. Mabel loved it, though Dipper held onto Emilie do tightly her skin almost bruised. After they arrived unscathed, Emilie glowered at Stan when he tried to pass off salad dressing, of all things, as a meal.

And then Dipper had to open his mouth. Emilie winced for him when both Stan and Mabel dismissed the possibility of him being manly. When he turned beseeching eyes her way, Emilie tried to laugh her way out of answering. Dipper was twelve, still a kid, even if he hated that word. Then Dipper tried, and failed, to win them pancakes.

Despite herself, Emilie refused to run after him into the woods. Dipper never liked it when she, or even Mabel sometimes, tried to comfort him before he was ready. However, she didn't want to sit there and watch Grunkle Stan try to flirt. It was sickening.

As Mabel distracted their Grunkle, hands landed on Emilie's shoulders. She craned her neck back to meet Will's amused stare. It took a moment to swallow the sudden lump in her throat.

"Are you flirting with me?" She finally demanded.

"'Flirting?'" He repeated. As if he'd never heard the word. "I guess I am." The kiss to her forehead was whisper soft. "Come on," Mabel noticed them and kept Stan's attention on her. The grin she wore nearly split her face in half. Emile returned it and slipped out of the diner, hand in hand with Will.

The Shack was quiet and empty when she slipped inside. Emilie could hear Grunkle Stan snoring away in his room across the hall. To her surprise, her own room was occupied. Mabel, curled in the middle of the bed, was there. Dressing as quietly as she could, Emilie slipped into the bed beside her little sister. Mabel immediately rolled over in her sleep and cuddled up to her.

"Emmy?" Came the breathy croak from Mabel. She blinked sleepily up at Emilie, who smoothed down her sister's bedhead.

"Shh, sweetie," Emilie drew the blankets up tighter. "Go back to sleep."

Mabel nodded, burrowing beneath the warm blankets. Even if it was a dump, the Shack had a decent A/C system in the living space, which Grunkle Stan always kept running.

"Did you have a nice time?" Mabel mumbled, the words garbled and soft.

Emilie felt her face heat up at the reminder. The brush of Will's lips had been petal soft on her skin. Her cheek still burned hours later. "Yeah," she settled deeper into the bed and wrapped an arm around Mabel.

"Yeah, I did."

* * *

Dipper woke them up early the next morning. And by woke them up, he launched himself onto the bed. His elbow landed in Emilie's gut, while his foot smacked Mabel in the face. Both girls woke up shrieking, which caused Grunkle Stan to charge in, minus the waffle iron. This time, he had a golf club. He shuffled out when Emilie weakly waved him off.

Mabel started tickling Dipper the moment she regained her bearings. Emilie watched with a smile. Before long, the twins joined forces and ganged up on her. Little fingers dug into her rib cage and relentlessly attacked. Emilie was gasping for air by the time she managed to knock the hysterical twins off the bed. They fell in a tangle of blankets and limbs.

Emilie peered down at them, breathless. They cackled like hyenas and rolled around, twisted tightly into the comforter off her bed. When he caught his breath, Dipper jumped back onto the bed. Though she tensed, no searching fingers dug into all the places she was ticklish. Dipper beamed at her and looked so excited Emilie returned the expression.

"What is it?" She asked as Mabel clambered to sit beside her.

"I had the best day yesterday!" He yanked down the top of his nightshirt. "I even grew a chest hair!" He tossed Mabel a dirty look then, "before Mabel plucked it off for her scrapbook."

Mabel waved off his accusing stare. "It was a golden opportunity. You'll thank me."

Dipper didn't share her certainty. In fact, he glowered. Emilie quickly steered the conversation back on track. Dipper began to tell his story, of Manotaurs and a Multi-bear that listened to the pop group _Babba_ , Emilie settled. By the end of his story, Dipper and Mabel had curled up to her. It was early. The sun was barely above the horizon from what she could see.

Dipper's words slowed, his speech muffled. His head pressed into Emilie. Mabel did the same on her other side. Both began to softly snore. Emilie simply wrapped her arms around them, her eyes slipped shut. All three were still asleep an hour later when Grunkle Stan peeked in.

He smiled sadly at the sight.

* * *

 **A/N: This covers the fifth and sixth episode of the first season  
**


	4. Chapter 4

_She is starlight and magic, in silvers and golds,_

 _He is chaos and danger, in darkness and shadow._

 _It will end, and it will begin,_

 _But nothing is certain._

 _He will twist and trap her,  
_

 _Until she is his, and his alone._

 _She has the power to do the same,_

 _Stronger than even he knows._

* * *

The silly string clung to her hair. Even after five washes it wouldn't release its clinging hold. She managed it into a sopping wet ponytail, then ran to Wendy for help. Wendy smiled and giggled, the girlish sound of a friend. The sound warmed Emilie. She was poked and prodded, and by the end was sure half her hair had been ripped out.

In the hours before the party, they closeted themselves in Emilie's room. Though Wendy had no intention of dressing up, she all but forced Emilie to. "Maybe Will'll thank me," Wendy snarked. Emilie's shoulders tensed and the playful smirk vanished. "Will _is_ coming, right?"

Emilie looked down at her painted, chipped nails. They were a multitude of sparkly shades, courtesy of Mabel. She swallowed several times before the answered was forced out. "I don't know. I didn't ask."

When Wendy was finished and slipped out, bow tie in hand, Emilie peeked at herself in the mirror. Simple makeup, hair held back in an equally simple, fancy braid. Suddenly, her image cracked and shattered into a thousand pieces and she tasted blood. She fell to the bed with a gasp and immediately jolted upright. The mirror's surface was flawless. Her mouth was a little dry, but all she could taste was popcorn.

Emilie passed Grunkle Stan on her way to the twin's attic. His eyes were careful behind the thick glasses; he heard her nightmares every night, though never said a word. Wordlessly, he drew her into a hug. He didn't smell like murky lake water this time, and Emilie buried her face in his shoulder.

"Maybe you should skip the party, get some sleep." He tried carefully.

He was new to this, taking care of two kids and a teenager. The last time he'd even been around kids was when he visited after the twin's birth. Now that she knew, Emilie could vaguely recollect his face from the multitude of visitors and well-wishing relatives. She couldn't remember how long he'd stayed. Or if he'd brought toys or food like the others. She just knew he'd been there.

When she managed to climb the rickety stairs, the twins were at it. Well, their version, at least. Dipper had a list longer than Emilie was tall. Mabel looked at him like he was crazy.

Emilie picked up the end of the list at the door. "Step number twenty?" She didn't read what it was. Dipper's face was red enough when she peeked around the paper. "You made a list. For talking to Wendy?"

"Shush!" Dipper rapidly folded it and hid it within his vest.

"See! Even Emmy doesn't agree!" The twins argued back and forth, Emilie settled on Mabel's bed.

The attic wasn't too horrible, though something had to be done about the splinters. Emilie patiently listened to their squabble, fixed Dipper's bow tie when it was crooked, and let Mabel drag her down to the Shack. Dipper went to sell tickets with Wendy, an excited smile on his face. Emilie stood on the landing as Soos read his way through DJ-ing.

Nate and Lee showed up, then clawed at the windows when they didn't have enough for the exit fee. Emilie saw Tambry and Thompson too, but lost them in the crowd. She doubted Tambry even looked away from her phone long enough to care if the party was lame or not. Thompson was only there because the others were. Robbie wasn't there yet, but Emilie knew he'd be there soon. He'd hinted, more heavily than usual, about hooking up with Wendy.

The idea made her sick.

It took longer than she would admit if asked, to notice that there were at least eight of her brother's wandering around. Mabel, entranced by her new friends Candy and Grenda, barely noticed. Emilie watched, half-amused, half-horrified, when she realized what Dipper was doing. Especially when she caught sight of Robbie hanging all over Wendy.

Before she could help, Emilie quickly became involved in Mabel's attempts at becoming party queen. The snooty rich girl - Pacifica Northwest, if Tambry could be trusted - made Emilie want to punch a child. It wouldn't be hard to use magic to sway the crowd in Mabel's favor, but she didn't even need it. The crowd loved her baby sister. So, Emilie watched with Grunkle Stan as, until the very end, Mabel continuously won every contest, trying to forget about Will's absence.

Before the end of the night, she ran into Dipper and... Dipper. "Is there a reason I have two brothers?" There was a mess of watery goo behind them in the hallway.

Dipper's nervous chuckle was music to her frayed nerves. The 'twin' at his side copied him. "I'm Tyrone."

The whole story spilled out, complete with the cloning copier and how they'd stolen Robbie's bike, all to have the perfect night with Wendy. Emilie softened and zipped her lips. They tackled her in a hug and she smiled at the absurdity. The smile turned to a scowl when Pacifica Northwest frightened and bribed the crowd into crowning her the party queen.

"Grunkle Stan," he smiled, equally parts proud and wary, at the dangerous expression she wore. "Is it illegal to set a twelve year old's hair on fire?"

In the end, Mabel's new friends welcomed her with open arms for sticking up for them. Emilie watched them dance with a fond smile that grew wider when Dipper, sans Tyrone, came down from the roof. As Grunkle Stan shut off the lights and herded the twins, plus Grenda and Candy, up to the attic, and as Soos and Wendy left, Emilie drifted to her room. Dipper, unable to take the shrieking girls, bunked down with her that night.

Hours after midnight, a pebble hit Emilie's single window loudly. Awake, she carefully climbed over Dipper to see Will outside, a somber expression on his tan face. It took ten minutes of hissed conversation - pleading on his part - before she yanked on her hoodie and clambered out the window. The dew covered grass tickled her bare feet.

"I'm sorry - I got caught up with something." Will explained underneath the shadow of a tree. He held his phone out to her. When she took it, her eyes ran over the angry multitude of texts from both Wendy and Tambry for standing her up. A hysterical giggle choked her at the sight. His hand was warm when it curled around her fingers. "Come with me."

They slipped deeper into the woods. Dipper's book had a map of the magical side of the forest, somewhere she shied away from. Will led them toward the river, she could hear the faint rush of water. When he finally turned to look at her, his golden eyes were soft in the firefly glow. Hands on her waist, hands on his shoulders and her bare feet on his shoes.

Emilie pressed her ear to his chest, lulled by the faint sound of his heartbeat.

* * *

She left Will's apartment in the town square on Pioneer Day and saw Grunkle Stan's car between the circled wagons. Emilie peered inside to see Stan and the twins as Pioneer Day was explained. He eagerly let her take charge of Mabel and Dipper before he wandered off on his own, threatening to disown them if they returned talking like the in-character townsfolk. The twins adapted rather well to the old-timey happenings around them, though even Mabel blanched when a man married a woodpecker.

At the opening ceremony, magic prickled at her fingertips and she felt her hair spark when Pacifica Northwest humiliated Mabel in front of the entire town. Without even looking, she muttered a spell and jerked her chin in the blonde brat's direction, then chased after her baby sister. When Dipper caught up to them on the bench, he was all smiles despite Mabel's sullen expression.

"Did... did you just turn Pacifica's hat back into a racoon?" His eyes bulged from his skull.

"Did I? I'll need to practice more - I though I'd summoned an army of them." Mabel didn't even crack a smile. Emilie frowned, worried now. "Mabel, sweetie, what is it?"

"Do you think I'm silly?"

Dipper stuttered a negative reply, but all Emilie did was hug her. Mabel snuggled into her side before she removed her nacho earrings - Emilie wasn't going to ask - and tied her cat sweater around her waist.

"You are _not_ a joke, Mabel." Emilie swore once Mabel had gotten everything off her chest. Yes, Mabel was silly and could act like a ditz at times, but that didn't make her stupid. Mabel liked to have fun, and she saw good in everyone and everything. "You're just too trusting for your own good."

The conversation quickly switched track, with Mabel settling on her anger at Pacifica. When Dipper produced the journal, Emilie's fingers sparked. She'd read through the pages, found some of them barely legible, others scrawled so messily that there was no hope of learning what they said. But it practically dripped with magic - and she wasn't sure if that was what frightened her more.

Their brother quickly announced the theory that Nathaniel Northwest hadn't been the true founder of Gravity Falls, and Mable grabbed hold of it like a lifeline. Emilie added her agreement with a smile. Anything that helped the twins smile again was worth it.

They raced around the town, first to the library where, despite claiming she was going to be serious, Mabel's silliness won out in the end. While Dipper discussed setting a page from the journal on fire, his twin folded it into a hat.

The folded parchment revealed the next clue.

Despite Dipper's solemn decision that they would have to break in to the museum, they were greeted by a cheery woman in pink colonial garb. Emilie refused the offer of a pink balloon; the twins gladly accepted the unexpected treat. Once again, Mabel's inability to act completely serious worked in their favor, and they headed to the Gravity Falls cemetery next.

It was there they found what they were looking for.

* * *

All things considered, Emilie wasn't sure she could consider the day a bust.

Quentin Trembley had been a bit odd, and terrifying, she had to admit. He should have been long dead without the peanut brittle and that made his survival all the more unsettling. Still, she liked the idea of being a Senator. Probably as much as Mabel liked being a Congresswoman. The best part of the day was delivering the Northwest Family cover-up news to Pacifica, whose scream had been music to Emilie's ears.

That night, the twins bunked down with her until they could barely walk. Then she herded them up the rickety stairs, using a spark of energy to get them awake enough to make it to their room. It was getting easier to control, and Emilie was half-afraid that was a bad thing. The dreams had been absent for the last week or so, and she no longer dreaded going to sleep.

Maybe the pressed, golden rose beneath her pillow had something to do with it.


End file.
